The Rwanda-backed rebels who seized a major city in eastern Congo have declared a unilateral ceasefire, citing humanitarian grounds.
“It must be made clear that we have no intention of capturing Bukavu or other areas. However, we reiterate our commitment to protecting and defending the civilian population and our positions,” M23 rebel spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka said in a statement.
Monday’s announcement came after the UN health agency said at least 900 people had died in last week’s fighting between the M23 rebels and Congolese forces after the rebels seized the city of Goma. Some 2,900 people were also wounded in the fighting, according to the World Health Organization.
The M23 rebels are backed by about 4,000 troops from neighbouring Rwanda, according to UN experts, far more than in 2012 when they first captured Goma.
They are the most potent of the more than 100 armed groups vying for control in Congo’s mineral-rich east, which holds vast deposits critical to much of the world’s technology.
M23 says it is defending ethnic Tutsis in Congo. Rwanda has claimed the Tutsis are being persecuted by Hutus and former militias responsible for the 1994 genocide of 800,000 Tutsis in that country.
Many Hutus fled to Congo after the genocide and founded the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda militia group. Rwanda says the group is “fully integrated” into the Congolese military, which denies the charges.
The World Food Program is warning of shortages of food, clean water and medical supplies in Goma, in eastern Congo, where waves of fighting have displaced thousands of people and disrupted supply chains.
The rebels were reported to be advancing on another provincial capital, Bukavu, following five days of fighting over Goma last week. But their spokesperson denied that was their intention in his statement.
There was no immediate comment from Congo’s government.
